Home to Stay
by TVTime
Summary: "You're home," Scott told him, grinning at him and squeezing his wrists again. "I'm home," Isaac confirmed, eyes sparkling with happiness. "You're not leaving again," Scott said, shaking his head. He kept the red out of his eyes but otherwise infused the statement with alpha authority. "I'm not leaving again," Isaac promised, a solemn expression on his face.


**Home to Stay**

Scott smelled him before he saw him. He had changed his body wash, his deodorant, and his hair product in the intervening year, but the underlying personal scent was distinctive and unchanged. It was a heavenly bouquet of spicy-sweet, silky-crisp pheromones that tickled Scott's nose and made his brain scream _Isaac!_ on repeat until the name and the scent attached to it were all that Scott could comprehend.

It was all Scott could do not to pull people out of the way in the crowded airport as the scent got closer and Scott bounced on the balls of his feet trying to get a look at his dearly missed beta. Eventually Scott gave up trying to hold the chant inside and began shouting, "Isaac! Isaac!"

Then a group of tall men in business suits stepped aside and–

"Scott!" Isaac's face was lit up in its most unguarded, blissfully happy grin, the one that had always taken Scott's breath away even before he was consciously aware of why.

"Isaac!" Scott exclaimed one more time as he swept the taller werewolf up in his arms and squeezed him tight, relishing the way Isaac folded himself around Scott, molded himself to Scott's body and nuzzled his face into the crook of Scott's neck.

"I missed you," Isaac might have whispered against Scott's skin.

Scott couldn't be sure. He might have verbally voiced it or his body and the excited thrum of his heartbeat might have said it for him. Regardless, Scott understood and he whispered back, "I missed you too."

Isaac unfolded himself, rising back to his full height, but Scott held him closed, hands stroking his back and massaging his neck. When at last Scott was content that he had gotten enough of his scent on Isaac and that enough of Isaac's scent was clinging to him, he slowly pulled back, hands gliding down Isaac's arms and hanging onto his wrists as they exchanged a long look.

"You're home," Scott told him, grinning at him and squeezing his wrists again.

"I'm home," Isaac confirmed, eyes sparkling with happiness.

"You're not leaving again," Scott said, shaking his head. He kept the red out of his eyes but otherwise infused the statement with alpha authority.

"I'm not leaving again," Isaac promised, a solemn expression on his face as he ducked his head to one side, baring the side of his throat.

Scott hummed his approval and pulled Isaac in for another embrace, scenting the exposed skin of Isaac's throat with his nose and face before pressing a soft, closed-lipped kiss there. This time when they pulled apart, Scott laced their fingers together.

Isaac's bright blue eyes sparked and glimmered in the light and his scent flared with joy as he looked down at their linked hands.

Scott rubbed the back of Isaac's hand with his thumb. "I meant what I said on the phone. I want this."

Isaac nodded and raised their joined hands to his mouth. He kissed Scott's fingers. "Me too."

They held hands as they waited for Isaac's luggage at the carousel. Then they went to the parking garage.

"Stiles' Jeep, really?" Isaac smirked at Scott and rolled his eyes before going to the passenger side.

"Mom needed her car for work and we couldn't exactly strap your suitcases to my motorcycle," Scott said as he unlocked his door and climbed in. After leaning over the seat to let Isaac in he added. "Besides, Stiles says Roscoe missed you."

Isaac laughed and slid the luggage he was carrying into the backseat.

"He said _he_ didn't miss you though. Just Roscoe," Scott added, setting Isaac's other suitcase next to it.

Isaac shrugged. "That's fair. I didn't miss him either...But it is nice to see Roscoe again."

Scott chuckled and started the vehicle, already looking forward to the banter that would ensue once Isaac and Stiles were in the same room again.

"So uh...the pack knows I'm back?"

"Of course." Scott glanced over at Isaac and gave him a reassuring smile. "But don't worry. There's not like a big surprise welcome home party waiting or anything. We're meeting everyone for a low-key brunch tomorrow – Lydia's idea – but it's just you and me tonight."

"Thank you." Isaac breathed out a sigh and Scott sensed the tension leaving his body.

"I can't wait for you to meet Liam and Mason," Scott said, rolling down his window to feed the garage ticket into the machine.

"Oh right, your _son_ and his friend." Isaac chortled and his eyes were full of mischief when Scott looked at him.

"Aha! So you and Stiles have been texting."

Isaac held up his hands defensively. "Lydia might have told me that."

Scott shook his head. "That's Stiles' joke. Well his and Malia's."

"That's it. Malia told me."

"You barely know Malia."

They went back and forth for a little while before Isaac shrugged and reluctantly admitted he and Stiles had stayed in touch.

The air got thick with sadness after that and Scott realized they were both thinking about the person who wouldn't be at brunch tomorrow to welcome Isaac home, the person who had been the reason he left in the first place.

"I still think about her every day," Scott said softly.

"Me too," Isaac answered. His voice was thick with anxiety and guilt as he continued. "Do you think this" –he gestured between them with his hand– "I mean are we..."

"She'd be happy for us," Scott answered, confident that he was right. He dropped a hand on Isaac's knee and gave it a gentle squeeze. Isaac covered Scott's hand with his own and slotted their fingers together.

They were silent for the rest of the drive home but as they pulled in the McCall driveway a wave of excitement pulsed in Isaac's scent. "I'm really glad to be back."

Scott turned off the Jeep and turned in his seat, giving Isaac a serious look. "I've lived here my whole life, but it quit feeling like home when you left."

Isaac gasped and his cheeks flushed. He worried his lip between his teeth then said, "I'm so sorry. I-I shouldn't have...I should never have left."

"You needed time," Scott answered. He smiled at Isaac and shrugged. "I guess I did too."

Once inside they fixed themselves snacks and drinks, then collapsed on the couch. They sat together, closer than they had before Isaac left, before a dozen heartfelt overseas texts, before hours of late-night Skype sessions. They sat with their knees touching and their eyes on each other's faces as they spoke. They stayed up late, talking about every major and minor event they could think of that had happened in their lives over the past year.

As they talked they moved closer together, hands found hands, then shoulders, then Scott was cupping Isaac's cheek and suddenly in the middle of a discussion about the proper way to pronounce 'croissant,' Scott's lips closed over Isaac's and they shared their first kiss.

It was slow but not tentative, heavy and deep without being demanding. They kissed like they had all night because they did. They had all the nights and days they could want because Isaac was home now and he wasn't leaving again.


End file.
